Motor-driven rail vehicle



JanQ 1o, 192s. 1,655,409 J. BUCHLI MCTOR DRIVEN RAIL VEHICLE Original Filed Dec. 2s. 1924 Patented Jan. 10, 1928.

PATENT l,

JACOB BTJCHLr,y or wI'NTEnrHun, fswIrz'ERLnNn.

MoroR-DRIvEN RAIL' vnHroL'E.

originaigappncation meareeembr 2s, 11924, serial-Neuwahl, aaa in-switzeriana December "2e, 4923;

DividedL and this-apprication `1aed runes, 1926'. sement.' 113,962.

My invention relateslto' rail-vehicles sn'ch as described in my application, Ser. No. 757,601,5tiled o1rDec.-23, 1924, oi which ap plication this is a division. K Y Y In rail-vehicles supported in the middle, for example threeeaxle railvehicles, it has already been proposed to make the middle axle movable in its axial direction and to connect the two outer axles pivotall to the middle one in such a manner that tey will position themselves approximately radially when travelling along curves; It has also been proposed to make two-axle vehicles ot long wheel-base with driving axles which are driven by means of Cardan shafts by motors rigidly attached to the vehicle body between the said driving axles. This proposed kind of drive, however has the defect that the driving axles position themselves, whenon curves, not radially but so that the wheel of the front axle on the inside of the curve leads in advance of the other.

According to my invention the one or more drivingmotors are arranged not on the'vehicle body, but on separate steering frames distinct from said body, which frames are movable laterally in relation to the said body and by' which frames the two driving axles are adjusted as by a thill.

As compared with the constructions heretofore proposedksu`ch a drive has a number of important advantages. *The driving axles are positively positioned radially on curves and run exceedingly quietly on straight tracks. Both the tires and the rails are preserved, the formation of grooves is avoided and curves are passed silently; also very small radii are possible with long wheel-bases. With a prescribed axle-load the useful total load can be increased, because the weight of the motors is borne by frames speciallyprovided for them. The axle-load of the driving axles may be reduced, when the points of support` of the vehicle body are situated on thills connecting the driving axles with the steering frames.k As in motor-cars all the gear parts can be enclosedr oil-tight, so that waste of oil is avoided. Further, as in motor-cars, the axles can be driven by differential gears whereby loss of power is avoided, and since the motors lie in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle they can be constructed at a lower cost and` more favorably, particularly they can be made for high speeds and pro-y videdwvith..r artificial ventilation 'Ia'ndairiil-Y ters. l

Infthe appended: drawing, 'in which I. have ,illustrated one embodiment of the invention by way of example, Fig. l is a side elevation of a rail-,vehicle built in accordance with my invention; Figs. 2 and 3 show portions of this vehicle on an enlarged scale,l and Fig. 4 is an end elevation of Fig. 3 as seen from the left-hand side in said figure, parts being shown in section.

Near the two ends of the vehicle are loA` cated the driving axles a enclosed in the housings a. The axles a are driven by vshafts b each by means 'of an electric motor c. Instead of electric motors, other motors may of course be used, for example, internal-` combustion,I or Diesel engines. i As shown, the motors are not connected with the vehicle body e, but are each mounted on a separatechassis or steering frame' f and f,

. each of these frames having its own wheelbase and small wheels. These frames f and f are free to move laterally under the ve-` hicle body so that they can move to either side. Because of the provision of the shafts b forming radius bars, the axles a are steered by the frames f and f respectively.

The vehicle body e bears between the two driving-axles a on the couplings b by means of supporting springs d, and truck bolrsters d, supported one on each coupling b',

the couplings b" connecting the steeringframes and f carrying the driving motors each with the housing a of one of the driving axles. By this support of the vehicle body'e on the couplings b', the weight of the vehicle body is well distributed over the driving axles on the steering frames. From a comparison of Figures 2 and 3, it will be seen that each axle a and the corresponding steering frame `can shift relative to the vehicle body e in the `longitudinal direction of the latter a distance indicated by la, so that shocks on the upper or lower frames are equalized, and a `re-adjustment of the axles a in the middle position can take place.

I claim: l. In a motor-driven rail-vehicle of long Vwheel-base,'the combination with the vehicle body,y and two axles, one located near each end of said body and supporting a part of the weight of the same, a steering frame distinct from said vehicle body, one for each laxle' and movable laterally in relation to said vehicle body, at leastone motor mounted on each steering `frame, driving means opera- JLively connecting the motor with vone of said axles uo rotate the same, and a coupling member connecting each steering frame with an axle for steering the latter.

2. In a motor-driven rail-vehicle of long Wheel-base, the combination with the vehicle body and two driving axles, one near each end of said body, a steering means divided in tWo parts, each having an axle pro.- vided with Wheels supporting one haltl of said steering means distinct from the vehielo body and movable laterally relative thereto, a moor mounted on each half of said steering means. driving means open atively Connecting the moior with one of `the said axles to rotate the same, a thill connecting each half of said steering means With an axle for seering the same and means Comprising a truck bolster7 and springs bearing on themfor supporting the Weight of said vehicle body.

In testimony whereof I my signa-ture.

JACOB BUCHLI. 

